At 39, Brady is Better than Ever
November 7, 2016
By: Peter Howarth
When an athlete retires from their respective sport, it’s usually due to a stockpile of deteriorating injuries or the work of Father Time. Just looking back at this past year, Peyton Manning retired after limping through the Super Bowl, and Kobe Bryant left basketball after several lost seasons due to an injured achilles. Tom Brady is not an ordinary athlete.
When asked about stepping away from the gridiron in 2014, Brady simply responded, “When I suck, I’ll retire”. He also added that he could play well into his forties. Until last year’s AFC Championship game in Denver, his right arm backed up his mouth. Then, Von Miller, Denver Broncos linebacker, pulverized Brady into Sports Authority Field’s brisk January sod in a disappointing end to the 2015 season.
There were questions whether Brady could sustain another full season of hard hits in a grueling, unforgiving sport, not to mention the mental side where he was taxed from the infamous “Deflategate” debacle. Given all the factors stacked against Brady including the promise of third-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, skeptics questioned Brady’s role on the team following his four-game suspension to start this year’s campaign. Well, let’s just say Brady silenced the haters.
Although his first opponent were the dismal Cleveland Browns, Brady was firing on all cylinders in his return from suspension, completing 28 of 40 passes for 406 yards and three touchdowns. His efforts earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Against the formidable Cincinnati Bengals in week 6, Brady shined once again going 29 of 35 for 376 yards and another three touchdowns. Any minute signs of rust were revealed in week 7 in a hostile Pittsburgh environment, where Brady completed 19 of 26 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns but more importantly securing the win and a 3-0 record with him under center.
Things are looking up for the Patriots this season, and it is due in large part to Brady’s scathe-free play post-Deflategate. Along with Brady’s return , the awakening of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, two of the biggest playmakers on the team, has been well awaited. With the faltering of top AFC contenders Denver, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, a seventh Super Bowl visit is clearly in sight for Brady and the Pats. None of that could be realistically possible without the one-of-a-kind Brady, who handles himself like no other.
Tom Brady is a man of routine as much as he is an UGG model or a football star. And the man responsible for much of Brady’s success is his long term body coach, Alex Guerrero. He helps micromanage every part of Brady’s day, from diet, workouts and recovery to rest, treatment and practice. Everything needs to be precise and exact, considering the toll a 16+ game season can have on a 39 year-old’s body. While his methods may not be conventional, they are routine to Brady, and that’s all that matters.
Brady takes no shortcuts when it comes to staying healthy. Known for his avocado ice cream, he almost exclusively eats raw, organic foods and never skips a day of practice, no matter if his season was cut short by no fault of his own. Every minute detail of his day is meticulously planned out, all part of Brady’s grand scheme to prevent injuries from occurring in the first place instead of rehabilitating from them; this unique approach gives Brady has no reason not to believe he can’t play forever. According to Guerrero, “We don’t let the body dictate to us. We dictate.”
The underlying principle in all of Brady’s professional success is his work ethic and motivation. Just remember, Brady wasn’t the starting quarterback for the University of Michigan until his junior year, even then he wasn’t the popular choice among critics and fans. In the 2000 NFL Draft, he was selected no. 199 overall, and a staggering six quarterbacks were chosen ahead of Brady. But instead of sulking in his misfortune, Brady used it to fuel his competitive fire. When he came to New England, he was the backup behind savvy veteran Drew Bledsoe before he got injured. Brady has had the job since.
With an unrelenting desire to stomp on his opponents and stay in peak physical condition, Brady has the chance to play longer than your average athlete, let alone a football player. He’s playing at the highest level possible at the age of 39, an unfathomable feat. But there’s no need to worry; Brady will retire when he sucks, and that doesn’t appear to be any time soon.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BradTo00.htm
http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/12/10/tom-brady-new-england-patriots-age-fitness
